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In a stunning conflict of anatomy and antiquity, artist Equipment Paulson (beforehand) kinds impossibly fragile objects totally from glass. By referencing historic artworks by lace patterns, or traversing the constructions of blood veins and bones discovered within the human physique, she externalizes the inner and divulges hidden visceral constructions throughout us. She pushes the concept additional nonetheless by creating wearable sculptures like masks and gloves.

Paulson works primarily with slender tubes of borosilicate glass heated with a torch by a way known as flameworking. “Even with its sterility and stability, glass have to be manipulated by hand, counting on very the bodily, muscle reminiscence of the fingers which is invisibly powered by blood and bone,” she shares with Colossal.

The artist simply arrived at Bild-Werk Frauenau in Germany, a global discussion board for glass and visible arts the place she’ll educate for the following 6 months. You possibly can discover extra of her work on Instagram and see dozens of her small glass objects obtainable on Etsy.

As a woman of the unmarried persuasion, I haven’t yet had the opportunity to make a gift registry (yet!) and therefore have not received a fancy and curated dinnerware set. Despite my rather, ahem, advanced age, I’ve been working with a relative mishmash of hand-me-downs acquired haphazardly throughout the years, everything from flatware to cooking pans and plates. But as it happens, you don’t need to wait until the proverbial church bells ring to put together a grown-up, lovely table setting. There are plenty of surprisingly affordable dinnerware sets available that will elevate your home dining experience.

Despite its obvious, deeply functional use, dinnerware doesn’t have to be boring either. High-end sets made of good quality materials can seriously improve the overall aesthetic of your tablescape. No matter what your interior design style or what kind of budget you’re working with, we’ve got a chic and affordable dinnerware set for you. And yes, every one of them is beautiful enough to display on open shelving.

So, keep reading for a look at some seriously stunning dinnerware sets that won’t break the bank.

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Food52 Food52 launched its home shop in 2013 intending to bring high-quality products from talented artisans around the world to one spot. They curate beautiful collections that elevate kitchens and make life easier. They know that it’s all about the details, and it shows in their gorgeous products.

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Shaker Ceramic Dinnerware Muted pinks, grays, and cream tones add a bit of curated calm to a table. They’re thoughtfully made with a nod to Japanese and Shaker design influences. They’re timeless, not to mention dishwasher safe, and scratch-resistant as well.

Buy it here.

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Inku Scalloped Ceramic Dinnerware Inspired by the Japanese Wabi-Sabi style, these lovely and imperfect dishes have ridges that mimic shells and blossoms. They couldn’t be sweeter.

Buy it here.

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Camp Melamine Dinnerware Bring the look of classic camping enamelware to your kitchen with this forties-inspired white speckled design. Melamine doesn’t rust, is virtually unbreakable, dishwasher safe, and family-friendly.

Buy it here.

Target What can we say about Target that you don’t already know? This beloved mega-retailer has everything you could ever want and more. They consistently raise the bar with their products and work with seriously impressive designers on collaborations that are as beautiful as they are affordable. Long live Target!

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Project 62 12-Piece Stoneware Avesta Dinnerware Set This simple, elegant set includes four dinner plates, four bowls, and four salad plates in a clean modern design with a glossy glazed finish. It’s casual chic and perfect for everyday meals or entertaining.

Buy it here.

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Elama 18-Piece Dinnerware Set This classic ridged design calls to mind mid-century bakeware in the best way. It’s wildly affordable and looks great to boot.

Buy it here.

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Corelle 18-Piece Vitrelle Embossed Dinnerware Set These lightweight plates and bowls are made of easy-to-clean and durable glass. they are perfect for every aesthetic and occasion.

Buy it here.

Bed, Bath & Beyond Bed, Bath & Beyond is all about making life easier, cozier, brighter, and better. Today we’re poking around the beyond for a look at their vast selection of affordable dinnerware sets. In keeping with their philosophy, these sets are a lovely representation of their many high-quality products that are available at a deeply affordable price point.

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Tabletop Unlimited Otella Bone China 16-Piece Dinnerware Set Update your table with this contemporary, simple white-on-white style. It’s made of bone china, which is more durable than stone or earthenware, making it perfect for families with small children.

Buy it here.

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Artisanal Kitchen Supply Coupe Marbleized 16-Piece Dinnerware Set You’d never know that this sophisticated set is dishwasher and microwave safe. It’s a unique modern design that is highly durable and will last for decades to come.

Buy it here.

IKEA What was once a tiny, mail-order business in the Swedish countryside is now a global brand that is practically synonymous with affordable home goods. You name it, IKEA has it at a competitive price and in interesting, innovative designs.

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FÄRGKLAR 24-Piece Dinnerware Set Choose from a matte glazed rustic surface or a glossy modern one. This clean design is simple, functional, and easy to coordinate with other colors, shapes, and materials—making it the perfect base for all settings.

Buy it here.

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VÄRDERA 18-Piece Dinnerware Set This set is made of ultra-durable feldspar porcelain, but should a kitchen disaster occur, you can replace each item individually—a rarity in the world of dinnerware sets!. it has a soft square shape that feels modern while also being a classic.

Buy it here.

Urban Outfitters I cannot stop raving about Urban Outfitters’ home section. Once the domain of college students, UO Home has some seriously beautiful, high-end pieces. They sell everything from furniture to accessories and kitchen gadgets that won’t make your bank account scream. Do not sleep on this home shop, friends!

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Glazed Terracotta 16-Piece Dining Set This boho-inspired set adds a touch of texture and dimension to your table. It is made of beautiful terracotta with rounded rims, for an unexpected hint of whimsy. Best of all, it’s dishwasher and microwave safe!

Buy it here.

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How lovely is this dining set? It’s made of durable stoneware with a matte finish and speckled detailing for a modern, yet eclectic, flair. It is simple and still feels very special.

Buy it here.

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Plaza 12-Piece Dinnerware Set Keep things classic with this ceramic set of dinner plates, salad plates, and bowls. It features a shiny, glazed finish and ridged detailing that’s perfect for any occasion.

Buy it here.

Pottery Barn Not just content to provide high-quality pieces that are designed to last, Pottery Barn is also committed to sustainability. They partner with organizations like Global Organic Textile Standard and The Renewal Workshop, as well as artisans to support local communities around the world.

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Mendocino Stoneware 16-Piece Dinnerware Set Made in Portugal, the rustic ceramic silhouettes are wholly unique and feature beautiful variations.  It’s a functional, beautiful, and timeless collection.

Buy it here.

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Quinn Handcrafted Stoneware 16-Piece Dinnerware Set This is a fair trade certified set, with every purchase helping to ensure safe and fair labor practices that improve conditions and empower workers in local communities the world over. And isn’t it absolutely beautiful? It’s subtly glazed to let raw, exposed material peek through.

Buy it here.

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Puebla Stoneware 16-Piece Dinnerware Set Made in Mexico City, each piece of this set is hand-painted and reflects the skill of the artisan. No two pieces are alike, and all are absolutely stunning.

Buy it here.

World Market One of the great things about World Market is that they always have exactly what you’re looking for, whether it’s home décor, accessories, food, furniture, and more. I love that their style ranges from simple, classic designs to eclectic, unexpected colors and aesthetics from all over the world.

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Porcelain Coupe 16-Piece Dinnerware Set Looking for a crisp and clean aesthetic? This set is about to become your go-to for meals and special occasions alike. Its glossy white finish is elegantly simple and makes it perfect for mixing and matching with other brightly colored and patterned table items.

Buy it here.

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Textured Ceramic 16-Piece Dinnerware Set You’ll feel like you’re at a chic French cafe every time you bust out this textured dinnerware set. It’s made of off-white stoneware in four patterns that include dinner plates, salad plates, bowls, and mugs.

Buy it here.

Amazon For better or worse, there’s no denying that shopping on Amazon is simply convenient. The abundance of reviews combined with fast shipping makes it a no-brainer for just about everything, including their vast collection of dinnerware sets.

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Stone Lain Tina Stoneware Reactive Glaze 16-Piece Dinnerware Set Along with being as beautiful as they are practical, these high-quality and incredibly durable dishes are dishwasher and microwave safe. A reactive glaze is applied when each ceramic dish is fired, giving it a unique look.

Buy it here.

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Gourmet Basics by Mikasa Caden 16-Piece Dinnerware Set The unique black and tan two-tone reactive colors with a glossy white center on these dishes make this a wholly contemporary set with a touch of boho chic. Totally unexpected and cool for Amazon.

Buy it here.

Wayfair Sorting through Wayfair’s astonishingly large selections can feel overwhelming, but it’s always worth the effort. They source items from tons of distributors, so it’s important to read through reviews and ratings when scanning through their products. In this case, we’ve done the heavy lifting for you and found three wonderfully affordable dinnerware sets you’re sure to love.

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Esmehan 43-Piece Dinnerware Set This collection was built to last. It has a chic minimalist style with clean lines and smooth surfaces. It features a whopping 43 pieces, so you’ll never run out no matter how big the party gets.

Buy it here.

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Sierra Artist’s Blend 16-Piece Dinnerware Set Don’t you love the sweet speckles adorning this lovely dinnerware set? And the price is not to be believed.

Buy it here.

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Teitelbaum 16-Piece Dinnerware Set Add a touch of elegance with a gold-rimmed ceramic set. It includes salad plates, dinner plates, bowls, and mugs. It’s minimal and adds a bit of sparkle for every occasion.

Buy it here.

Kelly Clarkson may already be gearing up to drop a Christmas single, but we still have our eyes set on the spooky season. Perhaps you’ve already booked a porch pumpkin concierge to come and deck out your home(yes, it’s a thing!), but for those who want to take things one step further (one step spookier, if you will), Target is the perfect place to go all out without having to dip into your Christmas decorating budget. To prove our point, we’ve rounded up 30 chic but creepy, and affordable Target Halloween decorations to spookify your space in style.

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The Best Affordable Halloween Décor From Target: 2 of 32

Cotton Skull Table Runner

The spookiness is in the details with this 100% cotton table runner from Threshold. With its monochrome design, it compliments any kind of Halloween décor.

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Raffia Pumpkin Basket

This raffia pumpkin basket from Threshold proves Halloween décor can be both festive and functional.

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Sandy Pumpkin Napkin Rings

Because Halloween happens at the beach too.

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“If You’ve Got It Haunt It” Spatula

Spookify your Halloween baking with this long-lasting silicone spatula.

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Tassel Pom Beaded Garland

With warm hues and cheery tassels, this beaded garland from Opalhouse (designed with Jungalow) adds a fun festive touch.

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“Happy Halloween” Metal Garland by Threshold

The easy-to-hang piece adds a statement layer to your creepy but chic space.

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Wild Gorechid Halloween Plant

We love a pun almost as much as we love a pretty orchid (or a “gorechid,” rather) that doubles as a Halloween decoration.

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Cork Plaid Coasters by Threshold

Spread a bit of festive plaid across your table through the fall season.

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Featherly Friends Bird in Purple and Pink

This little guy is far cuter than he is spooky, but that skull collar is distinctly Halloween. Set him and his friends up in your window for a fun display.

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Plastic Pumpkin Tumbler

Designed to evoke a festive gourd, this plastic tumbler is party-ready.

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Lit Dolomite Small Customizable Ghost

This customizable, light up ghost is a fun tabletop accessory everyone can add their own touch to.

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Stoneware Patterned Serving Platter

Why not have special stoneware just for Halloween? The dishwasher- and microwave-safe accessory from Threshold is perfect for entertaining.

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Artificial Sunflower Garland

Mantel décor that takes you well into November is worth the splurge.

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Melamine Moons and Stars Bowl

Even cereal can be a bit more festive thanks to this cute melamine bowl.

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Felted Apricot Figurine

Tiered tassels, poms, and gourds are a perfectly festive trio.

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Ghoulish Garden Terrarium

Expertly toeing the line between creepy and cute, these little terrarium ghouls make a fun addition to any mantel or side table.

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Melamine Cat Snack Cup

A snack cup with a scarf is peak Halloween.

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Felted Pumpkin Vase and Bowl Filler

Leave it to the good folks at Jungalow and Opalhouse to make a Halloween accessory that’s more chic than spooky.

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Nordic Ware Skull Bites Cakelet Pan

Bake your way to spooky with this bite-size skull pan.

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Paper Mache Cat Pumpkin Craft Kit

Have your Halloween décor and make it too with this paper mache pumpkin craft kit.

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Bottle Brush Trees in Orange and Black

Bottle brush trees with a spooky twist enhance the Halloween vibes wherever you position them.

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Blue Rose Polish Pottery Monster Mash Tray

Serve up a pumpkin loaf or festive appetizers on the prettiest monster plate we ever did see.

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The Best Affordable Outdoor Halloween Décor From Target: 25 of 32

Ghoulish Garden Faux Wreath

Adorn your door or top off a mantel display with this weird, whimsical floral wreath.

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Halloween Tree With Lights

Light the path for trick-or-treaters with this glitter-speckled tree. The best part: batteries are included.

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34 Skull Halloween Wreath

What this sculptural wreath lacks in subtlety it more than makes up for in spooky spirit.

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LED Skeleton Hands

Equal parts festive and fun, this Hyde and EEK! décor makes for a playful pathway.

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Raven Evergreen Mat

One of the easiest decorations for instant spookiness: a doormat.

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LED Faux Neon Bat

Contrary to popular belief, orange and black aren’t the only colors you have to work with for Halloween. A chic neon purple also gets the job done.

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10-Count Small Foam Pumpkins

With a soft color palette and no carving required, these little cuties create a charming display all the way through Thanksgiving.

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LED Inflatable Black Cat

If there’s ever a time for inflatable décor, Halloween is the moment.

Even if you aren’t an avowed bookworm, bookshelves tend to take up major real estate in most of our homes. They’re often the focal point of a room, catching the eye whether you intend for that to be the case or not. This makes it vital that bookshelves are as aesthetically pleasing as they are functional. And while the impulse can be to load it up with every book that has ever crossed your path and an abundance of knick-knacks, restraint is key. Because when it comes to bookshelf décor ideas, less is always more.

Bookshelf décor and styling should be as intentional as any other part of our interiors. By thoughtfully curating a mix of meaningful objects, greenery, and of course, books, our bookcases become not just convenient storage solutions, but beautiful works of art. We tapped interior designer Javaneh Pirooz to give us all her tips and tricks on bookshelf styling. She has impeccable taste, making her the perfect resource for this very specific styling mission.

She explains that a bookshelf should be the talking piece of the room, not just an afterthought. There are many ways to successfully style a bookshelf, it just depends on the specific taste of the end-user. People can get intimidated when it comes to styling a bookshelf and over-do it, but her personal preference is to keep it minimal with strong hero pieces.

Keep scrolling for Pirooz’s bookshelf décor ideas! 1 of 18

Color code the books If Pirooz has a client that wants to use it as a traditional bookshelf, she color codes the shelves and sprinkles in some mismatched books with the intention of breaking the mold.

Add plants A spot of greenery freshens up and adds a bit of life to bookshelves. We’re partial to small succulents that are low maintenance and don’t require much space, but if you can also infuse a touch of drama with an ivy or string of hearts whose beautiful, long strands can hang elegantly off the side.

Remember the power of three If a client is looking to use their shelving for aesthetics more than simply housing books, then Pirooz calls on what she calls her “Power Three.” She creates vignettes using a mix of:

booksa sculpture or terracotta pota plant 2 of 18

Negative space Avoiding clutter is an absolute must. Negative space is crucial to allow each piece place to have its moment. Pirooz just finished styling a bookshelf where she placed a single antique terracotta pot on each shelf, leaving negative space on both sides. The simplicity of this approach allowed for each pot to be the showpiece on each individual shelf.

Incorporate lighting Add a small, chic lamp to illuminate the bookshelf beyond the gleam of a candle.

Display meaningful personal items To personalize a bookshelf’s style, Pirooz asks her clients if they have collected anything special during their travels or have family heirlooms that they’d like to display. She then finds a way to incorporate it into the styling.

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Add a candle or two If you’re working with a large bookshelf, add a taper or two in chic vintage candlestick holders for a bit of height. Conversely, investing in your favorite statement candle will add a beautiful glow to your precious objects and books, while also adding a gorgeous scent to the room.

Keep things asymmetrical Resist the urge to have everything uniformly balanced. For example, try adding a smattering of books, a candle, and a ceramic bowl on one shelf, and then just a plant and a small object on the next. Variety is the spice of life.

Add vintage accessories Look for timeless, classic decorative pieces like clay pots, candlestick holders, handcrafted items, and more—but avoid going full kitsch.

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Vary the height and depth of the items on each shelf Pirooz stresses the importance of making sure there are no linear lines. In her opinion, the only linear thing in view should be the shelf itself. Visually break up lines by using differently sized objects, or consider laying books on their side.

Add baskets on lower shelves This makes for a very aesthetically pleasing storage solution and a great way to hide clutter.

Use coffee table books Lay coffee table or art books horizontally and make a stack on a bookshelf, or display a beautiful cover facing outward.

Invest in high-quality decorative objects Whether it be a marble bowl, ceramic vase, or metal object, including a luxe item on your shelves elevates the entire thing. It’s an elegant and incredibly simple way to add a personal decorative touch.

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PHOTO: Amy, sister, in her Hollywood Hills home Scroll on to shop our 13 favorite bookshelf décor pieces

This entry is part of an ongoing series highlighting new collections. The Archives of American Art collects primary source materials—original letters, writings, preliminary sketches, scrapbooks, photographs, financial records, and the like—that have significant research value for the study of art in the United States. The following essay was originally published in the Spring 2021 issue (vol. 60, no. 1) of the Archives of American Art Journal. More information about the journal can be found at https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/toc/aaa/current.

Julia Santos Solomon inserting crosses for her In Memoriam installation, Christ Lutheran Church, Woodstock, NY, 2020. Photo by Scott Barfield.
To document the cascade of public health, social, and financial crises set in motion by COVID-19, the Archives of American Art developed an oral history series that recorded responses to the global pandemic across the American art world. Conducted via video conferencing software, the Pandemic Oral History Project offers eighty-five short-form interviews with a diverse group of artists, teachers, curators, and administrators. (For a complete list of interviewees, see https://s.si.edu/pandemic.) Averaging twenty-five minutes long, each interview provides a firsthand account of and urgent insights into the narrator’s triumphs and tragedies in the summer of 2020. Comprised of more than thirty hours of recorded video and audio, the series is a significant record of an unprecedented time as it unfolded.

Screenshots drawn from select video interviews in the Archives of American Art’s Pandemic Oral History Project, 2020.
Collecting these stories during, rather than after, this extraordinary moment represents a new modality for the Archives, as does conducting oral histories at great distances and for such short durations. Our narrators spoke from every corner of the United States as well as from France, Lebanon, and Norway. In addition to me, three Archives curatorial staff conducted interviews: Josh T. Franco, national collector; Jacob Proctor, Gilbert and Ann Kinney New York Collector; and Matthew Simms, Gerald and Bente Buck West Coast Collector. We were joined by four external interviewers: Nyssa Chow, lecturer and Princeton Arts Fellow, Lewis Center for the Arts and codirector, NYC COVID-19 Oral History, Narrative and Memory Archive, Columbia University/INCITE; Fernanda Espinosa, oral historian and cultural organizer; Lara M. Evans, associate professor of art history, Institute of American Indian Arts; and Melissa Ho, curator of twentieth-century art, Smithsonian American Art Museum.

For the selection of interviewees, we were invested in capturing diverse voices and multigenerational perspectives. Thirty-five interviews were supported with federal funding from the Latino Initiatives Pool, administered by the Smithsonian Latino Center. The team continued to assess the breadth of narrators throughout the project, adjusting outreach as needed. When so many feel isolated and when traditional art spaces are disrupted and face existential risks, we are grateful to have reconnected with narrators already present in the Archives through personal papers, institutional records, and oral histories, while integrating many new voices into the collections.

Conducted with artists at every career stage and arts professionals in a range of institutions and roles, the interviews provide glimpses of the heterogeneity of experience as the pandemic unfurled. To grapple with the enormity of grieving, Hudson Valley-based multimedia artist Julia Santos Solomon discussed the personal impetus for her In Memoriam project, a large-scale reckoning with the act of mourning in isolation, for which she invited participation through social media. Quarantined in Northern California, geographer and photographer Trevor Paglen outlined his delayed or modified shows and the local disparities in public health response and safety measures, making an analogy to “trying to work underwater; like holding your breath, everything’s slow, you can’t really move, but you’re trying to get stuff done.” East Harlem and Austin, Texas-based printmaker Pepe Coronado addressed the major financial impact of not being able to host studio events (“being closed down to people,” in his words) along with the tremendous power of empathy in times of widespread strife. Mixed media artist Rubén Ortiz Torres, who works and teaches in San Diego, considered the friction between historical and idealized senses of what it means to be American and their potential synthesis. “I don’t think it’s about substituting one kind of intolerance for another,” he explained, proceeding to describe art’s capacity “to create certain mechanisms that allow for . . . processes of negotiation and reconciliation” across cultures. These themes of isolation, fear, social awareness, and adaptation weave themselves through every account, dipping between cold uncertainty and the warm hope of a better future.

Xena Goldman, Cadex Herrera, and Greta McLain, George Floyd memorial, 2020. East 38th St. and Chicago Ave., Minneapolis, MN. Photo by Lorie Shaull.
Concerns with racism, particularly anti-Black racism in the US, emerged in nearly every conversation. Los Angeles-based painter Mark Bradford unpacked the soothing power of companionship and discussed the complexity of Black identity in 2020 and what meaningful change would entail: “It’s when we have all these voices collectively inside of [culture]. That’s what makes us sustainable. We both belong.” In Minneapolis, Cadex Herrera relived the communal vitality that sustained him as he collaborated in painting a mural to commemorate George Floyd, the African American man whose death by the hands of police officers spurred global calls for racial justice in the summer of 2020 and beyond. “[W]hen we’re dealing with racism, sexism, the fear of the other, we’re dealing with a veneer,” said painter Ed Bereal from his home in Bellingham, Washington, tracing the roots of intolerance. “What’s underneath that is you are terrified. . . . And part of that terror is you don’t know who you are.” From her home in Cupertino, California, fiber artist Consuelo Jimenez Underwood addressed the increasingly visible new generation of civil rights leaders: “I’m so happy you guys are here . . . [b]ecause you’re the ones that are going to lead us out of this place.

Installation view of Carrie Moyer and Sheila Pepe: Tabernacles for Trying Times, collaborative exhibition at the Portland Museum of Art, Portland, ME, March 2020. © The artists. Photo by Luc Demers.

Nancy Hom, Open Heart Prayer Mandala, 2020. Mixed media, 2 feet diameter. © Nancy Hom 2020. Photo by Robert Hsiang.
The human toll of the pandemic was also evident in the interviews, as many narrators took on the role of caretaker or suffered health crises themselves. In Brooklyn, painter Carrie Moyer recounted her own experience of being asymptomatic with COVID-19 and her experience of caring for her wife, textile artist Sheila Pepe, who contracted the virus in the spring. Their collaborative art exhibition Tabernacles for Trying Times—which centered social justice, reconciliation, and human cooperation—closed to the public due to the pandemic in March 2020, the “sadness and irony” of which struck Moyer strongly. Pepe narrated the unspooling of time and thought following her illness, as well as new consolations and rhythms she found in lockdown. Miami-based painter Arturo Rodriguez delved into the liberating power of routine, as his caretaking schedule for his sister and mother has given him “permission” to open his mind to new paths in his work. San Francisco-based artist and arts teacher Nancy Hom described creating a “perpetual mandala” honoring victims of COVID-19 that has evolved to include other recently deceased individuals whose “names have been entrusted to me by people that I know.” Wendy Red Star, a multimedia artist based in Portland, Oregon, expressed her fears for the future of the Crow and Navajo nations and the dangers facing their elders from unmitigated viral spread and the immeasurable threat of lost heritage.

Interviewees frequently mentioned changing studio conditions, fabrication schedules, and artistic content. DEMI, a Miami-based painter, discussed her embrace of large-scale pictures as a means of grappling with the “larger than life” challenges of the coronavirus. New York City-based artist, architect, and filmmaker Alfredo Jaar chronicled his rediscovery of silence, slowness, and solitude in quarantine and their respective benefits. Since travel has ceased, Jaar has found himself watching the world through digital mediation: “I’m still a witness, but a frustrated witness and a limited witness.” Testifying to the power of attention and technique in challenging times, Allana Clarke, an interdisciplinary artist currently residing in New Haven, Connecticut, walked through her work’s rehabilitation of dangerous, racist beauty norms—“these processes and rituals of care that, for me, were very destructive and traumatic”—and how she is now “reorienting those gestures to serve in my healing, to make myself whole again.”

While 2020 often feels disconnected from time, many participants delved into historical precedents that have converged and flared. Retired San Francisco public health worker, photographer, and activist Lenore Chinn recounted the corrosive dangers of misinformation about AIDS in the 1980s and the importance of solidarity in opposition to intolerance, noting of our current pandemic, “the tragic part is it’s invisible. . . . Unless you are working in a health care environment where you’re confronting it day to day, or you have somebody in your personal life who has been impacted . . . you don’t see it.” Chinn’s reflections echo sentiments expressed in the narratives of other artists who lived through the height of the AIDS epidemic, which were captured by the Archives’ 2015 oral history project supported by the Keith Haring Foundation. Kay WalkingStick, a landscape painter based in Easton, Pennsylvania, considered how conditions and rights for women and Native Americans have improved in some ways in recent decades, but also that many oversights and abuses have not stopped. Acknowledging COVID-19’s disproportionate impact on BIPOC populations in the US, Oklahoma City-based multidisciplinary artist Edgar Heap of Birds called attention to his recent work addressing the health crises that Indigenous Americans have experienced “since the contact—since Columbus came.” In Los Angeles, interdisciplinary performance artist Nao Bustamante linked this moment to the Situationists’ desire to embed art in every aspect of life. For her, art is an enduring tool for not only comfort and escapism, but also political traction and communal awareness: “Having been an artist for thirty years, from my perspective, the art world doesn’t look that different than when I first started making art.”

Edgar Heap of Birds, Health of the People is the Highest Law, 2019. 24 primary mono prints (ink on rag paper), 22 x 30 in. each. © Edgar Heap of Birds. Photo by Ted West.
The potential for transformation through introspection glimmers in many of the interviews. Speaking at the height of the record-breaking California wildfires that burned more than four million acres in 2020, Los Angeles-based installation artist Lita Albuquerque asserted that “the light has come in and is expressing itself,” illuminating a “fulcrum year” ripe for self-reflection and edification. Heap of Birds noted gradual progress in societal efforts toward greater “equity, sensitivity . . . racial inclusion,” citing the name change of the Washington, DC, football team and the selection of Kamala Harris as Joseph Biden’s vice presidential running mate as examples of positive growth from extended dialogue. Speaking from her car in Los Angeles, interdisciplinary artist Gala Porras-Kim posited 2020 as a time to critique convention and reimagine art’s future. Thinking ahead, she hoped that the Archives’ interviews would prove to be fertile nodes for future researchers to examine which artistic ambitions were realized, stifled, or respun in the wake of the pandemic.

In addition to artists, we also spoke to leaders from museums and organizations, including Mary Ceruti, executive director of the Walker Art Center; Rita Gonzalez, curator of contemporary art at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art; and Deana Haggag, president and CEO of United States Artists. While artists gave voice to the changes in their lives and work, these cultural leaders recounted the widespread decimation of institutional finances and their rapid responses to 2020 events. One of the architects of Artist Relief, Haggag said that coalition building is key for continued survival, while Alessandra Moctezuma, professor and gallery director at San Diego Mesa College, reported on digital innovations already implemented by her institution and on the horizon. Artforum editor-in-chief David Velasco told us that dire circumstances highlight the necessity of editorial media, “because you want to actually be able to participate in these conversations in meaningful ways.”

Despite the often dark subject matter, some interviews contain moments of levity. You can watch painter Billy Al Bengston unbox a wax replica of his head in Pasadena, California, or witness New York City-based artist Judith Bernstein enthusiastically recount the bawdy titles of various drawing and painting series. These moments are often suffused with poignancy, such as Santa Fe-based interdisciplinary artist Cannupa Hanska Luger’s striking response to the question, “What would you say to artists 100 years from now?” “Well,” he laughed, “there was a place called America, I want to start with that.”

When the project was first conceived, we had hoped that the pandemic would be under control in the US by the late fall of 2020. But as textile pioneer Sheila Hicks so sagely observed from Paris in July, “[the pandemic] is a ship that’s been pushed out to sea, but it doesn’t have a port.” We hope to follow her advice—to “learn to swim.” Today the interviews appear fully captioned on the Archives’ YouTube Channel and on our website. Together they form a chorus of despair and resilience, loss and creation. We hope the testimonies of these artistic leaders and luminaries convey the interconnectedness and vibrancy of the art world in 2020.

Ben Gillespie is the Arlene and Robert Kogod Secretarial Scholar for Oral History at the Archives of American Art.